Rancho Cañada Larga o Verde facts for kids
Rancho Cañada Larga o Verde was a large piece of land, about 6,659 acres (27 square kilometers), given out by the Mexican government. This happened in 1841 in what is now Ventura County, California. The land was granted by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to a woman named Joaquina Alvarado.
The ranch stretched along Sulphur Canyon Creek, which is east of the Ventura River. It was located between the cities of Ventura and Ojai. Other ranches surrounded it: Rancho Cañada de San Miguelito was to the west, Rancho Ojai to the north, and Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura to the south and east.
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History of the Rancho
Who Owned the Rancho?
Ana Joaquina Alvarado (1788–1863) was the person who received the land grant. She was the widow of Gabriel Moraga. Gabriel Antonio Moraga (1765–1823) was a military officer who came to California with the De Anza Expedition. He served at military forts like the Presidio of San Francisco and Monterey. Joaquina Alvarado married Gabriel Moraga in 1806.
Changes After the War
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid.
To make these land grants official under U.S. law, people had to file a claim. Joaquina Alvarado filed a claim for Rancho Cañada Larga o Verde in 1852. The land grant was officially approved and "patented" to her in 1873. This means she received a special document proving her ownership. The original grant was for a smaller area, but it was surveyed as one and a half square leagues.
New Owners of the Rancho
Later, a Frenchman named Anselme Canet (1833–1914) moved to Ventura in 1874. He started a cattle business and bought Rancho Cañada Larga y Verde.
Important Places on the Rancho
- San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct: This was an old water system built by the mission.
- Santa Gertrudis Asistencia: This was a small outpost or branch of the mission.
